Coronavirus lockdown in US triggers plunge in mass shootings
- The number of mass shootings in the country dropped 24 per cent in April from a year earlier as churches, malls, schools and parks were closed
- The decline occurred despite a spike in gun sales that month
The number of mass shootings in the US plunged 24 per cent in April from a year earlier as churches, malls, restaurants, schools and parks were shuttered and most businesses closed, according to a Bloomberg analysis of data from an organisation that tracks information about firearm-related violence. The decline occurred despite a spike in gun sales that month.
The number of mass shooting incidents, killings and firearm injuries all dropped as states and cities took aggressive measures to contain the virus. There were 25 mass shootings in April this year, with 22 dead and 89 wounded.
In the same month last year, there were 33 shootings, 25 deaths and 130 injuries. The number of deaths in April was the lowest for the month since 2015, according to Gun Violence Archive, which began keeping track of such incidents in 2013.
The organisation defines mass shootings as incidents where four or more people are shot during a single event, not including the shooter.